Lincoln, winner of two Academy Awards, directed brilliantly
by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln (Who won Best
Actor) recently arrived on Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy from Dreamworks/20 Century
Fox/Touchstone.
When my wife first suggested we go see Lincoln at the movie
theater I balked at the idea. I’m not a
big fan of historical films, especially political historical films. Reluctantly I hauled myself to the theater,
sat down and prepared myself to be bored.
I was in for a BIG surprise.
Lincoln was anything but boring.
In fact, the combined political intrigue, personal struggles of key
characters and day-to-day activities of all the people involved set against the
horror and bloodshed of the Civil War made the film one of the most exciting and
intriguing movies I’ve seen in years.
Most films about Abraham Lincoln seem to concentrate on his
youth or his assassination. They make
Lincoln an almost mythical figure with few flaws. In this film Lincoln is shown as a man in
conflict, troubled, unsure, cynical and filled with compassion.
Daniel Day-Lewis did a spectacular job portraying the slow, exorable
decline in Lincoln’s physical and mental stature as the war took its toll on
him both physically and spiritually.
The entire cast are to be congratulated on their spot-on
performances especially Sally Field as Mary Lincoln and Tommy Lee Jones as an irascible
politician. Watching the film I could
feel the tension of the moment, understand the conflict and emotional turbulence
each character was enduring and feel compassion for both their failures and
triumphs.
This is not a watered down and rose-color glasses look at a
period in Lincoln’s life. It is a bold
and provocative examination of American politics, racism, bigotry, the fight
for freedom and the healing of wounds between the South and North. Well done!
The Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Combo pack also includes featurettes
about the making of the film including character, setting and costume design
and historical references.